Stop motion



SePf, 6, 1932 c. w. sPoRK ET AL 1,875515 STOP MOTION Filed sept. 25. 19:51 s sheets-sheet 1 3s' 44 l x 'y I f/Wf/yros.

Sept. 6, 1932.` c. w. s'PoRK ET AL sToP MOTION Filed sept. 25. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 -I 5.., @Km Y. MR2/5 2W M@ M T W54 LK`R PR www. E T m W/ C. W; SPORK ET AL STOP MOTION Filed Sept. 25. 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet v 3 CARL M POPI( FREDERICK d HER IG.

P'HE/l? @77E/VNG?! 4Patented Sept. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE CARL W. SPORK AND FREDERICK J. HERZIG, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA i STOP MOTION Application led September 25, 1931. Serial No. 565,068.

Our invention relates to improvements in a stop-motion device, and particularly of the type used on knitting machines, wherein a knitting machine provided with a power clutch actuated by electromagnetic means grounded electrically to one side of said machine, operates in conjunction with an insulated plate, electrically connected to the opposite side of said electromagnetic clutch operating mechanism, and a plurality of contacts actuated by a thread being knitted, to contact with said insulated plate and thereby complete an electrical circuit through said electromagnetic clutch operatingmechanism when the normal tension of a thread being knitted is disturbed.

The primary object of our invention is to provide a new and improved stop-motion for knitting machines and the like.

Another object is to provide a new and improved device of simple construction and delicate adjustment and arranged to quickly stop a knitting machine to which it may be attached when the tension of a thread being knitted by saidmachine is abnormally or subnormally disturbed, or when the thread is severed.

A further object of our improvement is to provide a new and improved device of the character set forth having a multiplicity of electrically grounded contacts arranged. to be actuated by a thread being knitted to contact 'a single insulated plate, electrically connected to a clutch actuating mechanism,

i5 whereby engagement of any one of a multiplicity of contacts with said plate, when actuated by a disturbed tension or severance of a thread being knitted will operate to quickly sto the machine. f

L0' still further object of thepresent inven tion is to provide'a new'and vimproved stopmotion for knitting machines and the like, having improved and simplified means for automatically stopping said machine when l5 the normal tension of any one of a plurality of threads being knitted is disturbed. We accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present ap- 0 plication wherein like characters of referenceare used to designate similar parts throughout the specification and drawings, and in Which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one type of knitting machine, disclosing our improved stop-motion applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged broken plan view of the stop-motion;

Fig. 3 is a broken transverse sectional view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a detailed view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 3 in the direction indicated; and

Fig. 5 is a view' similar to Fig. 4, but looking in the opposite direction, and with the supporting arm and housing removed.'

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate in general a knitting machine having a power clutch, also indicated in general by the numeral 2, and power pulleys or sheaves 3 transmitting power to said clutch 2. The clutch` 2 is'provided withV the usual shift lever 4, in this case actuated by any suitable electromagnetic means, such as a solenoid 6, having one side thereof electrically grounded, by means of the wire 7, to the machine l.

A suitable central standard 8 is mounted upon the machine l in the usual manner and hasy at its upper end a suitable housing 9 within which is a concentric insulating member 11 having a circular plate l2 mounted on the top thereof and with its periphery arranged in annular spaced relation to the housing 9.

A wire or electrical conductor 14 has its upper end attached to the insulated plate or member 12 and extends downwardly through the concentric insulating tube or member 11 and through a suitable aperture 16 in the bottom of the housing 9, and after being wound around the standard 8 and threaded through various parts of the surrounding structure, is finally connected at its lower end to a collector ring 17 rotating in the usual manner with the machine 1.- A contact 18 mounted upon, and insulated from, a support 19, continually contacts with the collector ring 17 and is also connected with a .Wire 21 to a source of electrical energy 22 and by a wire 23 to the opposite side 100 of the electromagnetic clutch operating mechanism or solenoid 6, as disclosed in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Radiating from the periphery of the hous' ing 9, at the top thereof, we have provided a multiplicity of horizontally extending arms 26 having their outer ends bent downwardly as at 27 to form a bearing for the outer ends of shafts 28 having their inner ends rotatably supported by being extended through suitable apertures in the housing 9, as disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Each shaft 28 is provided with a plurality of laterally extending lingers 31 each providedv with a recess 32 within which recesses 32 one of the threads 33 being knitted is passed.

On the inner end of each shaft 28, and adjacent the insulated plate 12 within the housing 9, we have mounted a Contact 34 arranged, under certain conditions, to contact with the insulated plate 12. Each inner end of each shaft 28 is also rovided with a lever 36 extending laterally rom its shaft 28 and preferably diametrically opposed to the fingers 31 on said'shaft 28. The end of each lever 36 is connected, by means of a suitable spring 37, to a vertically disposed adjusting member 38 slidably mounted within the housing 9 and extending through the bottom thereof, and secured against longitudinal movement j by means of suitable set screws 39, whereby said adjusting members may be raised or lowered and then secured in a position to maintain a proper or required tensional adjustment, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully. set forth.

By means of this arrangement it will be observed, by referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, that the tension ofthespring37 willnormally tend to raise the kfingers 31 over which the thread 33 is placed, and that an increased.

tension of said thread 33 will tend to lower said lingers and thereby move the contact 34 into engaging relation or electrical contact with the insulated plate 12 just above it.

Rotatably mounted adjacent each shaft 28, parallel thereto, and extending from the insulating member 11 and exteriorly of the housing 9, is a rod 41 provided with a contact 42 arranged normally to be moved into contact with the adjacent insulated plate 12 by the attraction of gravity on a lateral extension 43, said extension 43 preferably being `arranged to rest between two adjacent and parallel lingers 31 on the shaft 28 so that said lateral extension 43 will be supported upon that portion of the thread 33 resting upon and extending between said fingers 31. When so, resting engagement of the contact 42 with the insulated plate 12 will be prevented by the thread 33.

In the usual operation of the machine 1 and stop-motion device the threads 33 are wound upon the usual reels or spools 44, carried by the usual revolving frame 46. Passing upwardly from these spools 44 the several threads 33 pass through suitable guides 47 and thence to the outermost fingers 31 upon the shafts 28, thence inwardly over the remaining fingers 31, incidentally under the lateral extension 43 of the rods 41, and thence downwardly through a suitable guide plate 48 mounted upon the standard 8, and into the machine 1.

While the machine 1 is operating the threads 33 pass over the fingers 31 in the manner illustrated and described, and it is essential that a uniform tension of said threads be maintained at all times in order to insure a uniform quality of knitted fabric.

Should any thread 33, from any cause, have its tension disturbed a sufficient degree, said thread will operate to actuate the stop-motion and stop the machine, in order that the diiiiculty may be removed, in the following manner:

If, for instance, the tension of the thread 33 should be abnormally increased, such tension will pull the fingers 31 downwardly against the tension of the spring 37 and rotate 'the shaft 28 and move the contact 34 into contact or engaging relation with the insulated plate 12 above it and thereby complete an elecrical circuit which will energize the electromagnetic means 6 and thereby release the clutch 2 andstop the machine 1, it being understood that all ofthe contacts, shafts, rods, and other stop-motion mechanism, with the single exception of the insulated plate 12, are electrically grounded to the machine 1 and thereby electrically grounded to the said electromagnetic clutch operating mechanism.

When the fingers 31 are moved downwardly by an increased tension of any or all threads 33, such movement is resiliently resisted by the tension of the springs 37, and by adjusting this tension, by moving the adjusting members 38 to the proper position, the tension at which the thread 33 will stop the machine may be readily and separately adjusted for each individual thread, where a plurality of threads are being-knitted.

If, on the other hand, the tension of the thread 33 should be materially decreased, or should be severed, the lateral extension 43 of the rod 41, normally supported by the thread 33, will be moved downwardly by the attraction of gravity, and the contact 42 on said rod 41 will be moved upwardly and into contact with said plate 12, thereby again completing an electrical circuit through the electromagnetic means and stopping the ma- ,Vchme Itis obvious from the foregoing that, when the normal tension of the thread is disturbed, one of the contacts 34 or 42 will be brought into electrical connection with the insulated plate 12 and the machine 1 will be stopped. It 1s also obvious, that by means of grounding electrically Iall of the contacts, and moving them into contact with a single conductor, we have eliminated many parts in providing a simple and effective stop-motion which will readily stop the machine when the normal tension of any or all of the threads is dis-l normally held from contact therewith; a'

pair of parallel fingers 'connected to said contact and arranged to support a thread being knitted and extending across said fingers; a second contact pivotally mounted adjacent the first contact and the insulated plate and normally held in contact with said insulated plate; a lever connected to said second contact and resting parallel with and between the parallel fingers of the irst contact, said lever being supported upon said thread to prevent contact of said second contact with said insulated plate, an increased tension of said thread operating to depress said fingers and move the first mentioned contact into contact with the insulated member,- and a decreased tension or break in said thread operating to release said second mentioned contact into contact with said insulated 4'0 member, whereby a contact of either contact electromagnetic means and stop said machine.

2. The combination with a knitting `machine provided with a power clutch controlled by electromagnetic means having one side thereof electrically connected to 'said machine, of a stop-motion comprising a central standard; a circular housing mounted upon the top of said standard a concentric insulating member mounted within said housing; a contact plate mounted upon said insulating member and electrically connected to the opposite side of the electromagnetic clutch actuating means; a plurality of arms radiating from the circular housing; a shaft rotatably mounted upon each arm and housing and extending into said housing; a contact 0n the inner end each shaft and adjacent the insulated plate; a plurality of laterally extending fingers mounted upon each shaft and arranged to be engaged by a thread being knitted' and to rotate said shaft whenthe normal tension of a thread thereon is altered and to move the contact on said shaft into engaging relation with the insulated plate in 55 said housing; adjustable tensional means with said insulated member may actuate the v connected to each shaft for normally resisting` a movement produced by an increased tension of the thread on the fingers, whereby engagement of said contact with the insulated plate may be prevented when said thread is under 'normal tension; a rotatably mounted rod paralleling each shaft and having a. lateral extension thereon resting upon the thread and between two of the fingers on said shaft, said lateral extension being arranged by gravity to rotate said rod when the supporting thread is severed; and a contact mounted upon each rod and adjacent the insulated plate and arranged to be moved into contact with said plate and thereby stop said machine, when its respective rod is rotated by the severance of its thread.

In witness whereof, we hereunto set our signatures.

CARL W. SPGRK. FREDERICK J. HERZIG. 

